SEA BEAR

After weighing anchor our course was along the south coast of Fuerteventura, with northerly winds, a nice beam reach and in the lee of the island flatter seas, a real pleasure. Several boats had emerged from the harbour of Gran Tarajal, most were much bigger so drew away but Sea Bear under full sail did overtake one boat with reefs tucked in. Later I put a reef in the main myself as the wind was picking up. A red letter day, saw my first flying fish, I was amazed at how far it “flew”.
We passed the lighthouse on Punta de Mattoral O de Morro Jable and Morro Jable itself. Along this Costa Calme the wind was very variable, calm one moment and 25 knots the next, it kept you on your toes. I anchored at Puertito, a tiny bay and settlement tucked in close by the Punta Jandia, the very bottom tip of Fuerteventura.

Away bright and early but hardly any wind and then none so on with the engine to motor past the cement factory imaginatively named Puerto Cementero. Here we could alter course, bound for the southern tip of Tenerife and we had some wind, a gentle SW’erly. Before long that deserted us by white horse approach from the north announced a North Easterly blow. It blew hard all afternoon and most all night with a long period of a sustained 30 knots and peaks of 35. Down to just the staysail and with big breaking seas it wasn’t really too much fun. We did have a wonderful view of the snow tipped Teide above the clouds and later a big full and bright moon.
Once under the lee of Tenerife , the sea was not so rough and the wind abated and we could see the lights of La Gomera. Just before dawn, calm, just like someone had switched the fan off. The wind returned fitfully later. As we approached La Gomera we could see what a beautiful and rugged island it is.
Eventually just after midday we rounded the big breakwater of San Sebastian harbour and thence into the marina for a berth. It looks like this place will be the perfect antidote to Las Palmas.

On the pontoon I ran into Ollie who I had first meet in Ayamonte, he is sailing his Albin Vega from Scotland to the Caribbean single handed. It was good to meet up again and swap sea tales.
The first afternoon I walked up to the view point over the harbour and then to the lighthouse. Still had my sea legs so the earth kept moving. The town, which is very attractive, is situated where one of the barrancos of the island descends to the sea, there is only a small level area and much of the town climbs steeply up the hillside.
It seemed like my new crew couldn’t cope with shorthanded sailing so she “jumped ship” and I was on my own again.
One day I took a bus to Pajarito and then walked up to Alto de Garajonay, at 1,487m the highest point of the island. There were woods and shrubs, striking volcanic pinnacles and I heard and saw canaries singing in the bushes.
Without effort from me I had two potential crew approach with a view to crossing the Atlantic, both seemed fine so I was faced with a bit of a dilema as which to choose. In the end I solved this by deciding to take both. Bertrand, a french sailor and traveler whose has crossed before and Jason, an American who has been walking and cycling around Europe for a few years.
Sea Bear has been checked over, more provisions bought just the Saturday vegetable market to go to tomorrow morning for fresh veg and then we plan to set of for the Cape Verde Islands.
It seems fitting to be setting out from here. It was this very bay where Columbus set out from with his three ships on his voyage of discovery.